Dojima looked at Tsuna in silence for a while before he nodded and continued, "That's about it. You'll have two hours to finish it all and serve."
"Then... Show us your worth, and begin now!"
He declared, and both Tsuna and Shinomiya calmly took the ingredients and placed them on their countertops.
"Mou, Ito-kun. Don't lose!"
Alice grumbled from the sidelines, watching with an annoyed expression. However, her pupils shook with concern.
She silently rooted for Tsuna. "You've won our fight! Don't you dare lose before I get to catch up!"
"Lose? That's cute..."
Tsuna chuckled as he glanced at the vegetables on his countertop. "Now, let's see what I should do with all of you shitty vegetables..."
His eyes gleamed with cunning as he began to move.
"Hmm? Isn't that?"
Mizuhara looked at Tsuna in surprise, recognizing the choice of vegetables and the way he moved, which indicated what he was about to make.
Sekimori squinted as he observed Tsuna and muttered, "...Is he making a terrine? Against Shinomiya?"
"Dio mio, that's certainly quite a surprise!"
Gotoda exclaimed with his thick Italian accent, nodding in agreement.
Still...
"What on earth are you planning, Ito?"
Dojima narrowed his eyes at Tsuna.
If Tsuna was planning to make that terrine dish he made a while ago, he was certainly looking for trouble.
"Mhmmm mhmmm..."
Even with her mouth taped shut, Inui still nodded in agreement with Dojima's sentiment.
Moving on to the okra, Tsuna carefully trimmed off the ends and sliced them into rounds, discarding any tough stems. Then, he moved on to the zucchini, cutting it into thin slices and breaking the cauliflower into small florets.
Despite the alumnus' murmurs being clearly heard, Tsuna was unfazed as he kept moving from one vegetable to another.
"Hah, what a fool..."
Shinomiya scoffed from the side, seeing the familiarity of Tsuna's movement and his choice of vegetables.
As the aroma of his dish filled the air, his confidence grew.
Shinomiya carefully arranged the stuffed tomatoes on a platter, their golden-brown tops glistening in the light.
He garnished each one with a sprig of fresh parsley, adding a pop of color and freshness to the dish.
"You're surely barking on the wrong tree. This will be more than enough to kill off your arrogance..."
Shinomiya made his way over to the judges' table with a confident stride as their eyes lit up in expectation.
He placed the dish on the table, speaking plainly, "Tomatoes Farcies, enjoy..."
"Oh? Seems like you're done..."
"It's been a while since I tasted your cooking, Shinomiya."
"Eccolo!"
They each took a bite, closing their eyes in blissful expressions.
The flavors exploded on their tongues, each ingredient complementing the other and seemingly overwhelming their palate with goodness!
"The tomato is so tender!"
Sekimori spoke with a smile as he took another bite.
Mizuhara nodded, "And the meat, you actually used chicken meat for this? This is certainly not your ordinary tomato farce!"
"Mamma Mia!"
Gotoda was enjoying it so much that he kept exclaiming in delight.
"That's so good..."
"Indeed!"
They were utterly satisfied with Shinomiya's Tomatoes Farcies!
However...
"...You're truly stagnated, huh?"
Dojima silently thought as he looked at the smug Shinomiya.
Although it tasted great, he knew it was still the same as it tasted a few years ago. Still, such a creation was enough to acknowledge him as a world-leading chef, making Dojima's eyes gleam.
He then looked at Tsuna, silently considering, "I hope you're not going to disappoint me with the same dish you cooked this morning..."
Besides that, Dojima was also thinking of a way for Tsuna not to get expelled if he actually lost this.
"Now, it's time to see our other contestant, right?"
"Hmm? What is he doing?"
Everyone turned to look at Tsuna as he suddenly took a jar of some white powder out of nowhere, which made them blink in confusion.
"Eh? Ito-kun, no way, right..."
Alice quietly murmured on the side, seeming familiar with that jar since he had used it last time they cooked in the same class.
"...?"
Ryo also blinked in confusion.
However, Tsuna's expression remained stony as he opened the jar and sprinkled some of the white powder into his dish with his elbow out, the powder smoothly traveling through his skin into the dish.
"..."
The room suddenly went dead quiet as they witnessed Tsuna sprinkle the white powder.
MSG didn't belong here!
That should be the case when the main ingredient was vegetables.
Just as they were wondering what he was doing, Tsuna already made his way toward the judges, he put down the plate in front of them and spoke, "Have a taste..."
"...Oh? Right."
Mizuhara spoke as the others nodded before taking their fork and knife to taste the vegetable terrine before them.
"This certainly looks impressive, but...Hmm!?"
Sekimori nodded as he took a bite, suddenly standing up in shock and widening his eyes.
The other judges had the same reaction. Shock and amazement as the flavors exploded on their tongues.
They were overcome with shock and disbelief!
"...This...is this really a vegetable-based dish?"
Mizuhara's eyes widened in astonishment, her taste buds tingling with delight.
The vegetables, meticulously prepared and expertly layered, melted in their mouths like butter, leaving behind a trail of savory goodness.
"...Such a smooth consistency, you must've added mayo and olive oil to the egg yolk!" Sekimori exclaimed.
Gotoda's eyebrows shot up in surprise, "And by adjusting the proportions of milk and olive oil just right, you can achieve a lighter, more velvety sauce that will complement the vegetables beautifully..."
"But the vegetable choices... T-this is not just your ordinary nine-vegetable terrine!" Mizuhara, who had stood up from her squatting position, exclaimed at the unexpected flavor they tasted from the dish.
"...!"
Alice and Ryo were shocked to see the judges' reaction, contrasting with Shinomiya's darkened expression.
"That's right!"
Tsuna smirked as he continued, "I added a pinch of smoked paprika for depth..."
That was what he did earlier this morning. But it's not over yet, "...and a dash of cayenne pepper for a subtle kick."
He also substituted the yellow summer squash with roasted eggplant for smoky undertones!
"Y-you combined such flavors to be compatible with the MSG?"
Mizuhara looked at him in shock.
The rest of the judges were the same. Even Dojima, who tasted it, was also in shock as he looked at Tsuna in disbelief, "Seems like I still underestimated you..."
"You noticed? I guess as expected from an alumnus..."
Tsuna chuckled as his expression suddenly changed.
He suddenly closed his eyes and raised his chin at an angle as he shifted into his preaching mode, "I hate vegetables. They never taste good on my palate. Vegetables taste sad, but it's not just for me..."
"Vegetables are not meant for everyone. In fact, most people hate vegetables just like I do." Tsuna took a long sigh as he slowly opened his eyes.
He then narrowed his eyes sharply as he spread his arms wide, "But my terrine changed that! Now everyone can enjoy vegetables just as they enjoy any other dish! They will taste it and never be sad again!"
"This...! This is my terrine! The Be---No, A Happy Terrine!"
Tsuna declared as he flashed them a smirk.
"..."
The room suddenly fell silent, and they all looked at him as if he were crazy.
Alice facepalmed as she felt her face flush red in secondhand embarrassment.
Glancing at Tsuna with a frustrated gaze, she muttered, "So ridiculous, and what was that name? You certainly just made it up on the spot!"
On his side, despite his emotionless face, Ryo looked away with a hint of redness on his cheeks.
Meanwhile, Shinomiya tightly clenched his fist, his eyes widening in disbelief. Just by their reactions, he could roughly guess what was going on!
"...Am I seriously losing to a student? Me? Kojiro Shinomiya!?"
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